Pocket guard



AP. BURKE. PocKx-:T GUARD. FILED APR. 8:1922.

Jan. 16, 1923.

..... i i -1 ...5 IlliLAV..

Patented .lain 116, i923.

UNET@ STATES PATRICK BURKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

POCKET Application lefl April 8,

To all tf1/2,0m, 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Perrnror: BURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket Guards, of which the following is a specification.

rl`he leading object of the present invention to provide a device functioning as a pocket-guard to prevent unauthorized removal of a pocket-book, wallet or similar object, the dominating feature of which is that the device is entirely concealed from view and positively clamps the pocket-book or the like to the garment material so that even though a pocket be cut or slashed the device still engages the pocket-book. Other and further objects relate to general details of construction and arrangement and combination of parts for attaining` the results sought by the leading object.

The invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention willbe more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 17 is a` fragmentary view of a garment, viewed from the inside, and illustrating the manner of clamping a pocket-book directly to the garment material, and

Fig. E2, is a perspective view of the device detached and in open position.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

A description will first he given of the device itself and the manner of attaching` same to a garment will then be referred to. Referring now to Fig. 2, the body or supporting portion is substantially I-shaped, of which 10 designates a thin strip of suitable material, as metal, carrying at its top opposed ears 11 and being provided at its GUARD.

1922. Serial N0. 550,573.

bottom with a horizontally disposed extension 12 bent over to form a. compartment of narrow cross-section. The ears are apertured as at 13 so that the device may be riveted, sewn or otherwise secured to the inside of a garment. rThe compartment 12 has extended therethrough a pin 1.4; the purpose of which will presently appear. Having vertical movement with respect to strip 10 is a rod 15 the upper end of which is provided with a ring 16 and the lower end of which is forlred to straddle compartment 12. A pin 17 connects the free ends of rod 15, passing through compartment l2 and working in slots 17. The rod 15 is movable through guards 18 and is provided with a projected portion or portions 19 to limit upward movement thereof. Fixed to the exterior of compartment 12 as by rivets is an outwardly curved member 20, preferably of spring steel the outer end of which is slotted as at 2 1 and has an inwardly extended stud 22. Movably connected with respect to member 20 is another curved member 23 also of spring steel. This member 23 has a stud 2e and is slotted as at 25. The stud of member 23 is adapted to be guided in slot 21 of member 20 and the stud 22 of member 20 engages slot 25 of member 23. Thus member 23 may be shifted toward or away from member 2O and sagging of member 23 is prevented when in open position because of stud 24. The free end of member is pointed, is .adapted to have a sliding' fit within compartment l2 and notched as at 26 so as to cooperatively engage stud 14 whereby the parts may be interlocked. The pin 17 of rod 15 is adapted to normally lie beneath the pointed end of member Q3 so that when rod 15 is elevated notched parti 26 of member may be disengaged from stud 14. Y In practice the above described device is secured within a garment. as for instance a` pair of trousers. In that the ears 11 are secured to the waist-band and the part l() extended downwardly hach of the garment proper and the pocket material. Thus the membersiZO-Q can be readily caused to encircle the pocket material. lu other words the pocket is thrust down through the opening formed by `said 4members Assuming now that a. pocket-book is to be secured wit-hin the pocket the member 23 is caused to engage with stud 14 thereby clamping the pocket material and pocketbool( securely with respect to member 10 which is fixed to the garment proper. Should a thief insert his fingers Within such pocket While he or she could touch the pocket-book it could not be lifted because it is held by the members 2023- If the pocket be slashed or cut the members 2CV-23 still clamp the pocket-book t0 place. Member 23 may be snapped to place by the person Wearing the device by handling said member through the thickness of garment material from the garment exterior. The wearer may release the member 28 by merely elevating rod 15. As the ring 16 may normally lie next to the Waist-band there are no exposed parts of the device, which is particularly advantageous in a device of this kind. The device may be either adjusted to garments already made or may be secured to place When garments are beingtailored. If desired the device parts may be encased in a suitable textile fabric to prevent Wear upon a garment. In practice it is preferable to make the parts 10-11-12 of ductile metal so as to bend slightly with body movements thereby rendering the device less noticeable to the wearer.

It Will now be apparent that I have de vised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the in* vention and the above description and While I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in prac-tice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

VVhat I claim is:

1. A device of the character stated conlprising a substantially I-shaped member of ductile material adapted to be fixed to a garment behind the garment material and the material of a pocket, said member being provided with means including a pair of flexible sections one of which has sliding relation with the other for encircling the pocket material to clamp the same to said member and means including la vertically slidable device Wholly concealed by the garment material and paralleling said member -for releasing said means.

2. In combination a garment and a pocket therefor, a substantially I-shaped` member of ductile material fixed to the garment behind the material thereof and the pocket material, means including a pair of flexible sections one of which has sliding relation with the other carried by said member for encircling the pocket material to clamp same with respect to said member, and means including a vertically slidable device paralleling said member for releasing the pocket clamping means said releasing means being Wholly concealed by the garment material.

3. In combination a garment and a pocket therefor, a member fixed to the garment behind the material thereof and the pocketJ material, means, including a pair of fiexible sections one of which has sliding relation With the other, carried by said member for encircling the pocket material to clamp same with respect t0 said member and means paralleling said member for releasing the ,pocket clamping means said releasing means being Wholly concealed by the garment material.

et. In combination a garment and a pocket therefor, a member fixed to the garment behind the material thereof and the pocket material said member being provided with a compartment having a latching device shaped to cooperatively receive one end of clamping means, means carried by said member for encircling the pocket material to clamp same with respect to said `member and means paralleling said member for releasing said pocket clamping means said releasing means being Wholly concealed by the garment material.

5. In combination a garment and a pocket therefor, a member xed to the garment behind the material thereof and the pocket material, means carried by said member for encircling the pocket material to clamp same with respect to said member, movable releasing means arranged in parallelism with said member and shaped to engage one end of said clamping means and means to prevent undue movement of said releasing means which releasing means is Wholly concealed by the garment material.

6. A device of the character stated com prising a member adapted to be fixed to a garment behind the garment material and the material of a pocket, said member being provided at one end with a compartment having a latching device therein, means including a pair of flexible sections one of which is fixed to said compartment and the other of which has sli-ding engagement with the fixed section and is adapted to engage with said latching device when said sections are caused to encircle the pocket material to clamp same with respect to said member and releasing means paralleling said member for releasing the latch engaging section.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

' PATRICK BUR-KE. 

